The amplifier of intergenerational inequalities: parental education, quality of preschool education and early childhood development in China

Inequality in early childhood development represents a significant issue globally, with children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds often facing developmental challenges. Unlike existing explanations which primarily focus on familial influences, this study highlights the crucial role of the quality of preschool education. Drawing upon survey data of 3616 children from 24 kindergartens in Hangzhou, China, this article investigates the role of preschool quality as a mediator in the relationship between parental education and early childhood development. Based on causal mediation modeling, the results show a significant association between parental education and early childhood development, especially in social-emotional development. Crucially, the quality of preschool education mediated the relationship between parental education and early childhood development, indicating that the quality of early education may exacerbate intergenerational inequalities by acting as an amplifier. Theoretical contributions and policy implications are discussed at the end.